Balanced writing implement



Sept. 17, 1940. w NEAL 2,215,084

BALANCED WRITING IMPLEMENT Filed Dec. '7, 1938 INVENTOR.

Am ATTORNEYS v Patented Sept. 1 1940 n 2,215,084 BALANCED wm'rme mmrmm William E. Neal, ltfontclalr, N. 1., assignor to The Osborne Company, Clifton, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 7, 1938, Serial No. 244,829

. IClaim. The present invention relates to writing implernents and more especially to a balanced pen or pencil.

The balance of a pen or pencil is the feel of the implement in the hand of the user, and is produced by controlling the center of mass of the device. Flowable material is especially desirable forthis purpose since a predetermined constant amount may be sealed in a capsule on the upper end of the pen or pencil.

It is recognized that the balance of a pen or pencil in the hands of the user is preferable to one which is unbalanced, and to that end, the present invention is disclosed with reference to 5 a pencil and comprises providing a pencil, having mechanism for feeding the usual writing lead, a small rod of graphite or other suitable writing material, with a hollow upper portion adapted to be filled with balancing material, preferably fiowable granular material or a liquid, so that a balance may be established either by the user or the manufacturer without changing or destroying fixed parts of the pencil. The balance provided by the present invention is flexible in that the materials or liquids of different specific gravities may be used to obtain the desired balance or varying amounts of the materials or liquids may be used, and in this way, the desired results may be obtained without requiring a physical change in the manufactured parts.

Preferably, the balancing portion of the pencil comprises a transparent sealed capsule comprising substantially one-half of the total length of the pencil and being adapted to be attached to the barrel of the pencil carrying the mechanism for operating the "lead writing material.

It is also desirable to provide the pencil with a well known pencil clip adapted to hold the penoil in the pocket of the user, and since the balancing portion of the pencil may contain a liquid, the portion of the capsule adjacent the attaching means for the clip is a solid portion of the capsule so that this portion may be drilled,

or provided with recesses, to-receive anchorage members for the clip without penetrating into the chamber for containing the balancing liquid.

Preferably, the balancing capsule is preferably transparent so that the balancing material may be visible to add to the attractiveness of the penoil and to permit the operator to observe the amount of material being introduced into the capsule.

Fig. 1 is a view illustrating the pencil in accordance with the present invention, with a juncture portion between the balancing sec tion and the shell of the pencil shown in section. Referring now to the drawing, the shell I may be formed of various materials, such as a phenol 6 condensation product, vulcanite, or other materials, commonly used in the art for shells .of pencils or pens and encloses the operating mechanism for feeding the l'ead,f as'is common in the art. The operating mechanism contained 10 within the shell I, is operated by the otation of the point ferrule 2 to feed the lead" 4 in accordance with the well known practice. The upper end of the shell I is s'crew threaded at 5 and comprises a hollow portion 6 to receive the screw threaded end 1 on the balancing capsule 8 which comprises substantially one-half the total length of the pencil. The screw threaded end 1 is preferably hollow to removably contain an eraser rubber 9. This threaded end 1 may 80 be made as a separate piece which is inserted in and cemented in place in the lower end of the capsule 8, or it may be formed integral with the capsule 8. The capsule 8 is preferably transparent and is hollow for a portion of its length, 25 leaving the upper portion 9 thereof as a solid section. This solid section 9 isprovided with recesses into which anchoring members ll) of a clip' H are adapted to be anchored without penetrating into the chamber I! of the capsule. The 30 chamber I2 is preferably filled by a liquid I4 which is the balancing element for the pencil. This liquid l4 may entirely fill the chamber l2, or as is usually the case, the liquid does not completely fill the chamber l2, but leaves an air 35 bubble I 5 which may be viewed through the transparent capsule 8 and which will move with various positions of the pencil.

The liquid M in the chamber l2 of the capsule 8 is introduced through an opening which 0 1 preferably is closed by a suitable seal [6 inserted in the mouth of the chamber after the correct amount of liquid is introduced into the capsule 8 and before the rubber eraser 9 is set in place. This sealing member l6 obviates leak- 45 age of the liquid and makes the predetermined balance permanent after the desired amount of liquid has been introduced into the balancing capsule 8. Granular material, for example, metal filings or sand, may also be used as balancing material, howev r, liquid is the preferred material to be use for his purpose.

The movement of the balancing material in the upper portion of the pencil produces a feel" 55 2 I p f8,215 084 ,to the pencil, when it is in use, that is not at said implement, means within and carried by tamed by. a pencil of solid immovable weight said-shell to provide a writing element, a closed throughout. The location of the movable balhollow capsule comprising the upper portion of ancing material in the upper end of the pencil sa d pl nt. a pr d t rmined constant 6 akes the balance more eflective than it the amount of flowable material in said capsule to 5 movable material were located elsewhere in the comprise l in m l p e o mov in pencil, A a said capsule when said' implement is in use, and

w at 1 claim 1 n a. seal torclosing said capsule to hold said flow- 1, balanced writing implement comprising a able balancing material within said capsule;

10 writing point on one end of said implement, a v WILLIAM E. NEAL. l0 shell portion comprising the lower portion of the e 

